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“Saturday was cleaning day. And while grandma and I did that together, we listened to 'The Make-Believe Ballroom' on the radio.”

Isabel Beaton tells her daughter, Mary, about growing up in Bronx.

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Recorded in New York, NY

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Credits

Produced by Sarah Kramer.

Facilitated by Roger Peltzman.

Transcript

Click here to read the transcript for this story.

Interview transcript

Grandma had a routine. On Monday she did laundry. Tuesday and Wednesday was ironing. Thursday she went to Fordham to pay the bills and Friday was shopping day -- the meat from Frank the butcher. Olive oil - that was delivered. Also the bleach water for the laundry was delivered. Saturday was cleaning day dusting, vacuuming, polishing the furniture. And while grandma and I did that together, we listened to the make believe ballroom on the radio. It's the make believe ballroom time (sings). And they would have a countdown of the top 50 so we started cleaning at number 50, and by the time it got to number one, the house was clean.